Peru’s prime minister Denisse Miralles resigned Tuesday, stepping down ahead of a mandatory vote in Congress on whether legislators would confirm her appointment, according to the Associated Press. Miralles did not say why she resigned, but she told journalists she was uncertain she could secure the congressional majority required for her confirmation scheduled for Wednesday.
Her resignation comes after Miralles was appointed in late February, following the removal of interim President José Jerí after corruption allegations and his replacement by congressman Jose María Balcázar. In Peru’s political system, prime ministers coordinate implementation of government policies, but they do not lead the executive branch, which is headed by the president.
AP reported that Miralles, the former economy minister under Jerí, informed journalists she was not confident of obtaining the backing she needed from legislators for the confirmation vote. The report described the confirmation requirement as mandatory, setting up a direct test in Congress for her ability to stay in office.
The Associated Press also cited observations from the Fiscal Council, an independent body monitoring public finances, which said that under Miralles’s ministry, Congress passed 26 laws without challenge and that this led to significantly higher government spending. The AP story presented that finding as part of the broader backdrop for the political and fiscal scrutiny surrounding the government.
The resigning prime minister’s departure is occurring as Peru prepares for presidential elections on April 12, with more than two dozen candidates slated to compete. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the country will hold a runoff in June between the two top contenders.
AP noted that Peru has seen eight presidents in the past decade, and that several heads of state have been removed by Congress after corruption allegations. Despite frequent leadership changes, the AP report said Peru’s economy has remained stable over the decade, with governments keeping to orthodox economic policies that include modest fiscal spending and encouraging international investment in sectors such as mining and infrastructure.